diff --git a/client/src/components/Collections/PairedListCollectionCreator.vue b/client/src/components/Collections/PairedListCollectionCreator.vue
index 1287d64b7f01..d9150541ca90 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Collections/PairedListCollectionCreator.vue
+++ b/client/src/components/Collections/PairedListCollectionCreator.vue
@@ -93,6 +93,10 @@ const hasFilter = computed(() => forwardFilter.value || reverseFilter.value);
 const strategy = ref(autoPairLCS);
 const duplicatePairNames = ref<string[]>([]);
 
+const canClearFilters = computed(() => {
+    return forwardFilter.value || reverseFilter.value;
+});
+
 const canAutoPair = computed(() => {
     return forwardFilter.value && reverseFilter.value;
 });
@@ -1144,6 +1148,7 @@ function _naiveStartingAndEndingLCS(s1: string, s2: string) {
                                         <BButtonGroup vertical>
                                             <BButton
                                                 class="clear-filters-link"
+                                                :disabled="!canClearFilters"
                                                 size="sm"
                                                 :variant="hasFilter ? 'danger' : 'secondary'"
                                                 @click="clickClearFilters">
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/selenium/navigates_galaxy.py b/lib/galaxy/selenium/navigates_galaxy.py
index 141d6e1c28ec..bccafc32e933 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/selenium/navigates_galaxy.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/selenium/navigates_galaxy.py
@@ -914,8 +914,7 @@ def upload_paired_list(self, test_paths, name="test", ext=None, genome=None, hid
         if not hide_source_items:
             self.collection_builder_hide_originals()
 
-        self.collection_builder_clear_filters()
-        # TODO: generalize and loop these clicks so we don't need the assert
+        self.ensure_collection_builder_filters_cleared()
         assert len(test_paths) == 2
         self.collection_builder_click_paired_item("forward", 0)
         self.collection_builder_click_paired_item("reverse", 1)
@@ -2053,8 +2052,15 @@ def collection_builder_hide_originals(self):
     def collection_builder_create(self):
         self.wait_for_and_click_selector("button.create-collection")
 
+    def ensure_collection_builder_filters_cleared(self):
+        clear_filters = self.components.collection_builders.clear_filters
+        element = clear_filters.wait_for_present()
+        if "disabled" not in element.get_attribute("class").split(" "):
+            self.collection_builder_clear_filters()
+
     def collection_builder_clear_filters(self):
-        self.wait_for_and_click_selector("button.clear-filters-link")
+        clear_filters = self.components.collection_builders.clear_filters
+        clear_filters.wait_for_and_click()
 
     def collection_builder_click_paired_item(self, forward_or_reverse, item):
         assert forward_or_reverse in ["forward", "reverse"]
diff --git a/lib/galaxy_test/selenium/test_collection_builders.py b/lib/galaxy_test/selenium/test_collection_builders.py
index 24b47a825cf3..b6e8bb260956 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy_test/selenium/test_collection_builders.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy_test/selenium/test_collection_builders.py
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ def test_build_paired_list_simple(self):
         self.perform_upload(self.get_filename("2.tabular"))
         self._wait_for_and_select([1, 2])
         self._collection_dropdown("build list of pairs")
-        self.collection_builder_clear_filters()
         self.collection_builder_click_paired_item("forward", 0)
         self.collection_builder_click_paired_item("reverse", 1)
         self.collection_builder_set_name("my awesome paired list")